The First Texaco Children’s Art Competition (“Caltex”) was over 50 years ago, in 1955. In 1955 there was no television and no rock and roll music. Children played with footballs, skipping ropes and other simple games. Children enjoyed using their imagination and found ways of saying what they saw and felt through drawings, paintings and other simple forms of creativity. Ireland was a quiet and peaceful agricultural nation, far away from the rest of Europe. The Caltex competition became famous immediately and brought together the children of Ireland.

Every year schools all over Ireland receive an invitation for their pupils to send in their works of art. There are several categories, depending on the children’s ages. The prizes are handed out in Dublin and all the prize winners get a free trip to the capital city to attend the ceremony. Since 1955 many millions of Irish children have sent in their works. Some prize winners have become famous artists. We can say over the past 50 years children from every family in Ireland have sent in their works of art to the competition.